Politicians Remarks Embarrasses Koizumi

AUDREY McAVOY

Published 8:00 pm, Thursday, July 3, 2003

Associated Press Writer

A former prime minister says women who don't have children shouldn't get pensions. A senior ruling party lawmaker suggests gang rapes are "normal" behavior. Even the Cabinet's top spokesman pipes up, saying women who dress provocatively invite rape.

The remarks _ all made in the past week _ have embarrassed Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who has appointed women to top Cabinet posts, and reignited concerns that a lingering and often quietly accepted undercurrent of discrimination exists against women in Japan.

"They are speaking their true thoughts, and they are forgiven," said Aiko Ogoshi, a female professor at Kinki University in western Japan and an expert on women in society. "There still is a bit of that lax attitude that forgives this kind of thing."

The dispute erupted after a panel discussion last week in which former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, 65, and other senior political leaders debated how Japan should address its declining birth rate.

Mori, Koizumi's mentor and predecessor, said women who do not have children should not be allowed to claim pensions.

"Welfare is supposed to take care of and reward those women who have lots of children," Mori said. "It is truly strange to say we have to use tax money to take care of women who don't even give birth once, who grow old living their lives selfishly and singing the praises of freedom."

During that debate, ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker and former Cabinet minister Seiichi Ota, 57, said a growing number of Japanese men seem to lack the courage to propose marriage.

The debate's moderator then referred to a recent high-profile case of gang rape allegedly involving students at several prestigious universities.

"At least gang rapists are still vigorous," Ota replied. "Isn't that at least a little closer to normal?"

The audience and Seiko Hashimoto, a female lawmaker participating in the discussion, erupted in laughter.

"I'll get in trouble for saying this," Ota chuckled.

He was right. The next day he was slammed in the morning newspapers, on television news programs and by Koizumi and a party leader.

"It is a given he is being criticized," said Koizumi, who has appointed women to be the foreign and justice ministers. "Rape is an unforgivable, contemptible act. Being vigorous is a completely separate issue. Why would he make such a comment?"

Ota was summoned by the party's secretary-general, Taku Yamasaki, for an explanation and then apologized.

"I realize that what I said must have been very disagreeable to women, and especially victims," he said. "I apologize deeply."

But the gaffes did not stop there.

A few days later, the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun said Yasuo Fukuda, a key Koizumi lieutenant and the minister in charge of gender equality, told reporters at an off-the-record briefing that the real culprits in gang rape were women.

"The problem is that there are lots of women dressed provocatively," he said in comments shared with the magazine by reporters attending the briefing.

Fukuda, the government's top spokesman, denied making the comment and said: "I meant something completely different."

Women voters were not convinced.

"We elected such people, and it is an embarrassment they are our representatives," said Michiko Matsuzawa, a 41-year-old Tokyo office worker. "I can't believe they remain in office."

A group of female parliamentarians sent Fukuda's office a letter demanding a full explanation and saying the remarks by Mori and Ota "trample on" their efforts to establish gender equality.

The opposition Socialist Democratic Party said Mori's remarks reminded them of Japan's former militarist government, which urged women to have many children to build a stronger country.

"Back then," the party said, "women were no more than tools for giving birth."